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ARTICLE · 15 MARCH 2023

Bringing Australian privacy laws into the digital age: proposed reforms out for consultation

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Brief roundup of some of the key changes proposed by the report of the AG's dept's review of the Privacy Act (1988).

AustraliaPrivacy
Michael Deacon
Michael Deacon
Nadine Martino
Nadine Martino
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On 16 February 2023, the Australian Government released the report of the Attorney-General's Department's review of the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) (the Report). The Report follows two years of consultation and review considering whether the Privacy Act and its enforcement mechanisms are fit for purpose and adequately protect Australians in the digital age. The Report introduces 116 proposals for reform aimed at strengthening the protection of personal information and the control individuals have over their personal information. The Australian Government believes these reforms, drawn from both stakeholder feedback and external sources, will "support digital innovation and enhance Australia's reputation as a trusted trading partner". There is a number of proposals to bring Australia's privacy laws more into line with Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a comparatively stricter privacy regime.

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